Box.



0f c. FENLASON.

BOX.

APPLICATION FILED HiB` 28. 1914.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESS'SM @@@w IA PLANUGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON, D.C

ATTORN EY ORIN C. FENLASON, OF HOQUIAM, WASHINGTON.

BOX.

Application filed February 28, 1914.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GRIN C. FnNLAsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoquiam, in the county of Chehalis and State of lVashington, have invented a new and useful Box, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in boxes for shipping various kinds of merchandise. l

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of packing boxes and to enable veneer and other thin lumber to be employed in the construction of ysuch packages and tol provide a simple and inexpensive box of stron-g and durable construction, adapted to be shipped in knocked-down condition to secure lowest freight rates, and capable of being easily and quickly assem bled or made up without necessitating the employment of a skilled nailer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box of this character equippedv with exteriorly arranged binding cleats adapted to enable the veneerv or other thin lumber to be' nailed interiorly to the inner faces of the binding cleats, so that the nail heads will not have to stand the outward pressure to which the veneer is subjected, and capable, when the boxes are arranged one upon another, of protecting the veneer or other thin lumber from breaking away from the said cleats and beingcrushed inwardly against the contents of the boxes.

With these and other'objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that va rious changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the' scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrilicing any of the advantages of lthe invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box constructed in accordance with this invention, the top being arranged in the form of a hinged cover and shown open. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the same, the top or cover being closed. F ig.` 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a rigid box body formed from the blank of the: box shown in Figs'. 1 toy 3 inclusive, one

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July at, 1915.

Serial N0. 821,712.

of the end walls being fastened to the box and constituting the bottoni of the box. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a collapsible box illustrating another form of the invention and shown closed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofthe blank which forms the body of the box, showing the same in a spread out condition, the end walls being arranged in the grooves of one of the end sections of the blank.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the box comprises in its construction a blank comprising sections l., 2, 3, and 4.-, constituting the front, bottom, rear and top or cover when the box is arranged as illustrated in Figs. l to 3 inclusive. The sections of the blank consist of sheets of veneer or other thin lumber secured by nails 5 to the inner faces of exterior binding cleats 6, and when sheets of veneer are employed in the construction of the said sections', they are preferably arranged in two plies or thicknesses, as shown, but a single thickness of veneer may, of course, be employed, where it will afford suilicient strength to sustain thel internal pressure and weight of the contents of the box. The heads of the nails 5, which secure the veneer to the inner faces of the exterior binding strips, are arranged at the inner faces of the veneer, so that the strength of the veneer does not depend on the holding power of the nail heads, and the binding cleats on the outside of the box will resist the internal pressure to which the veneer is subjected.' The cleats will also protect the veneer when the boxes are piled one upon anotheigfso that the vencer will not break away from the cleats be crushed inwardly against the contents of the boxes. The exterior binding cleats are arranged at the center and ends of the seetions of the blank and they are hinged together at their adjacent terminals by metallic straps or pieces 7 which enable the sections of the blank to bxe'spread out in a flat condition, substantially as illustrated iin Fig. 6 of the drawings, before the box `is made up. This will permit thebxs to be sent to the shipper in flat or knocked-down condition, and will enable the lowest freight rates for Vsuch material to be secured. p, Also, the hinge connection"v will enable' the top of the'box to be used as a hinged lid or cover vuntil the boxis lled and the top rigidly thereof, yand they pierce the metallic straps or plates 7 and secure the same in the kerfs and close the walls of the kerfs tightly against the'straps or plates. By this construction. and arrangement the cleats are securelyhinged together, without interfer- -inforced at the frontandback by vertical ingwith the perfect fitting ends to form a square joint. c

The outer ends 11 of the cleats 6 of the section 1 are squared and are provided Vwith angularly disposed Ykerfs 12 extendingV longitudinally of thersaid cleats'from the` outer of the mitered [corners of the squared ends 11 and receiving metallic straps 13 secured by nails 14 in the kerfs 12 and having free terminal .portions 15 adapted to be bent around the -outer ends 16 ofthe cleats of the top secvtion 4 to secure the latter in its closed position after the box yhas received its contents. .The ends 16V are squaredV and are arranged `upon the squared ends 11 of the cleats of the section 1, the, terminal portions 15 of the straps 13 being bent horizontally against Vthe( upper or outer Vfaces of the cleats of the top or cover section 4 and secured to the .same by nailsl?` or other suitable'fastening devices.V

When it is desired to `arrange the parts so that the cover section or top 4 forms a hinged lid or cover, the end walls 18 of the box ,are secured to the end cleats of the front, rear, and bottom sections to form a rigid body, as clearly illustrated inY Fig. 1 of the drawings. The end walls 18 preferably consist of two plies or layers of veneer, but-they may be constructed of thin lumber or other suitable material, and they are recleats or battens 19, extending from the Y upper tothe vlower edges of the end wallsl 18 and secured to the same by nails 20 which piercethe said end walls andV engage the .said end'cleats of the front, back, and bot- Vtom of thebox.l The end walls are of a size to :extend from the upperY faces ofthe cleats of the top'of the box to the lower faces of the cleats of the bottom of the same, and Vfrom Vthe outer faces of the front cleats to `the outer faces of the rear cleats, the edges of the end walls 18y being in substantially flush relation with the outer faces of the exterlbilldng Cleats, :The end walls 18 completely cover the side edges of the section of the blank and the hinged top section or cover, in closing, ts downwardly between the upper portions of the end walls.

The box illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive is made up into permanent form, but the parts are also susceptible, when made into a permanent box, of being arranged as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, in which the blank is arranged in rectangular form to form the front, back, and side walls of the box, one of the end walls being secured to the lower end cleats 6 to form a temporary bottom, the other end of theI box being left open to permit the contents to be placed therein. After the box is filled, the other end is placed upon the open top of the body and is secured to the end cleats, the completed or closed box presenting the same appearance as when the box is closed,

Aas illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings is illustrated a collapsible box composed of a body blank 21 comprising four sections constructed substantially the same as the body blank heretofore described, with the exception that the sections of the blank 21 are equipped with parallel interior-ly arranged cleats 22 secured tothe inner faces of the sections and provided with longitudinal grooves 23 for the reception of the marginal edges of end walls 24. The end walls 24 may consist of avplurality of thicknesses of veneer secured together by staples 25 or other fastening means, but light lumber or other suitable material may, of course, be employed in the construction of the ends of the box. The interiorly arranged cleats have mitered ends 26 which it together when the blank is folded around the end walls 24 to form the box, and they increase the strength of the box structure, as the end portions of the sheets of veneer are securely fastened between the inner and outer cleats.

`One ofthe end sections is adapted to form the hinged lid or cover for the box and is .secured in its closed position vby the terminalV portions 15 of the metallic straps or plates 13 heretofore described.

The foldable or collapsible box is adapted to be arranged in a flat condition for transportation to the shipper, the end walls 24 being shown in the grooves of the blank in Fig. 6 merely to illustrate the manner of arranging the parts in making up the box. The box is adapted to be quickly set up for use and the only nailing required Will be the fastening of the free terminals of the metallic straps or plates. Neither a box in thisv form of the invention nor in the form where the end walls are permanently nailed to the sections of the body blank will require a skilled nailer, and any common laborer may readily assemble the parts of either box. The foldable 'or 'collapsible boxes will require much less space than made-up boxes.

What is claimed is:

l. A box of the class described comprising a blank including four sections constituting the top, bottom, front and rear walls of the box and provided at their outer faces with exterior binding cleats located at the end edges of the sections, means for hinging the adjacent ends of the cleats together to permit the blank to be arranged in flat form and also to swing up into box form, end walls having their edges arranged in substantially flush relation with the outer edges of the binding cleats and extended above the front and rear walls to receive the top of the box between their upper portions, and exterior vertical cleats fitted against the end walls at the front and rear edges thereof and having fastening devices piercing the said end walls and the binding cleats of the front and rear walls.

2. A box of the class described comprising a blank including four sections constituting the top, bottom, front and rear walls of the box and provided at their outer faces with exterior binding cleats, means for hinging the adjacent ends of the cleats together to permit the blank to be arranged in fiat form and also to swing up into box form, and end walls rigidly secured at their front, rear, and bottom edges to the contiguous sections of the blank to form a permanent box structure and extended above the front and rear walls to receive the top of the box between their upper portions, the binding cleats of the front and rear walls being extended. above the upper edges thereof, and the top of the box being supported upon the upper edges of the front and rear walls.

3. A box of the class described including cleats having Vmitered terminals fitted together to form square joints yand provided with longitudinal kerfs extending inwardly from the points of the said mitered ends in a direction longitudinally of the cleats and at an inclination to the outer faces of the same, and metallic straps or pieces secured in the said kerfs and forming a hinge joint for connecting the cleats.

4. A box of the class described includingV contact.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ORIN C. FENLASON.

lVitnesses:

C. A. Woon, S. ALLIsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

